A personal exploration into historical and current forms of philosophy, always with an eye towards understanding the why of life.

31 January 2013

Communism (Marxism) is not Socialism

Now that the political bloodbath is over in the US, I feel it is time to set the record straight, so to speak, as to what socialism is versus what communism is. The reason for this is because my "conservative" friends use the terms interchangeably.

In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labour, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labour, have vanished; after labour has become not only a means of life but life's prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-round development of the individual, and all the springs of the co-operative wealth flow more abundantly - only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe upon its banners: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!"

(K. Marx: Critique of the Gotha Programme)

Marx believed that capitalism creates the proletariat class, who have nothing to sell but their labor. For a socialist state to happen, the proletariat must take power violently from those in command of the capitalist state. This is not a peaceful revolution. New classes win power through violent revolution. There is not a peaceful change in ideology. Most recent example would be the fall of the Soviet Union.

Those to claim that the democrats in office are now building a socialist state are wholeheartedly wrong. What they are witnessing is simple democracy and the whim of the people. It is the nature of democracy and a capitalistic society.

Communism evolves from socialism, according to Marx. Communist society is a classless society. Marx: Communism, which evolves peacefully from socialism, is a classless society under which the state will wither away. Socialist society is a classed society, albeit one without bourgeoisie society.